Head Like a Hole
by xXThe.Black.Parade.Is.DeadXx
Summary: Nightwing's dead, and now the team is left with the words he had left them. The team tries to cope with the loss, as well as informing friends outside the team and league, keeping their family together, and tracking down Nightwing's murderer. Inspired by "Head Like a Hole" by the Nine Inch Nails. Sequel to "It Ends Tonight."
1. The Will

**A/N: Here we are! First chapter of the sequel to the actual ending of "It Ends Tonight!"**

**Stay tuned for the not-really-a-sequel to the alternate ending, now titled "Move Along!"**

* * *

**Chapter 1- The Will**

_**God money I'll do anything for you.  
God money just tell me what you want me to.**_

* * *

The entire team sat in the briefing room of the Watchtower. Robin had set up the holo-screen, along with Nightwing's will. He clicked on the only video file on the flash drive, labeled _'April 1__st__, 2016.'_ As soon as he opened the file, Nightwing's face was on the screen.

"_Hey guys… if you're watching this, then I must be dead, or at the point where I know I'm not going to live and gave this flash drive to you. Whatever the reason, these will be some of the last words you'll hear, even if I'm not technically alive."_

Nightwing removes his mask.

"_My name is Dick Grayson, but you all know me as Nightwing. Some of the members of the team- the senior members and anyone in the Bat family- as well as the League know who I am. Sorry you had to learn who I was this way._

"_I'm sure that, by now, you all know that Artemis is alive and Kaldur isn't a traitor. If not, then… well, now you know. I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you. We had to make it look good, and, unfortunately, it involved many things that weren't a part of the plan. I'm sorry for the destruction of Mount Justice. It was home to many of you, and a place where many memories were made. Hopefully, though, by the time you hear this, Artemis and Kaldur are back, safe and sound, and you've found a place outside of Bludhaven to call home._

"_First, I leave all the safe houses that I have in Bludhaven, Gotham, Romania, and everywhere else in the world to you guys. Don't worry about the payments- every month, it's auto-transferred from my Swiss account to pay for them. They saved my ass hundreds, if not, thousands of times before, especially when I was solo, injured, and halfway across the world. I also have a bunker in Bludhaven- think of it as something similar to the Batcave, but not as cold… and there are no bats in it. I think it would be a suitable place for the team, until you guys find someplace better. It's beneath the abandoned building across from my apartment. The trick is finding a way in. I have a holo-map of the building, plus all of the safe houses across the globe."_

Dick sighs. One can only imagine what's going through his head right now.

"_Rob, I've left my apartment in Bludhaven for you. Since you're still under eighteen, you can't really take it just yet, so, for now, it belongs to Conner until that day comes. Agent A has a copy of the keys, which will be given to you, even if you're not eighteen… just because you're a minor doesn't mean you still can't use it. I think, though, it'll come in handy when you pull a Nightwing and become your own person. Think of it as a gift from one Robin to another. I'm so sorry that I couldn't keep my promise to you… some big brother I turned out to be._

"_Kaldur, I want you to lead the team again. I know that you never really liked it, but we all know that you're qualified for it. To tell the truth, I never liked it myself. Since that simulation, I wanted nothing to do with leading the team, because, even though I know it wasn't real, it showed me that I wasn't good enough to be their leader. I'm sorry for involving you in that deep cover mission, but I had nobody else to turn to. Thank you for taking such risks._

"_Conner, in addition to my apartment until Robin is eighteen, I want you to have Clarence. In case you're wondering, he's the turtle Wally and Artemis got for my nineteenth birthday. He's a great listener, even though he probably has no idea what you're saying, and he's actually pretty friendly for a snapping turtle. I know you usually take in strays, but I thought you might like him. His care instructions are somewhere on this flash drive. Also, please look after Robin… I'm no longer there for him, so I can't be sure that he'll be okay. I don't want anything to happen to him, not while he's still so young._

"_M'gann, for you I leave Agent A's secret recipe for his cookies. Don't ask how I got it… well, you won't really have a chance, will you? Well, okay… anyway, please don't tell him, or he'll bring me back to life just to kill me. Trust me, you know he'll do it… sometimes he can be scarier than you, Batman. In addition to that, I have a couple recipes for some of my mom's food, and I thought you might like them. I know it's not much, but I know you enjoy cooking more than anyone else I can think of at the top of my head."_

There is another sigh, followed by Dick scratching the back of his head.

"_Zatanna, I… if I hadn't told you this yet, I want you to know that I still love you. Breaking up with you was the worst decision I've ever made. I didn't think that it was fair to call ourselves boyfriend and girlfriend when we barely saw each other at that point in time. I didn't think you deserved to be worrying about me when you might get yourself killed in a mission for doing so. It did more harm than good, if anything, and I'm so sorry. I want you to have my mom and dad's wedding rings. They're on a little gold chain somewhere in my room in my apartment. Robin should know where they are, so whenever you can get them, he'll find them and give them to you._

"_Artemis, you're like a big sister to me. I don't know how I would've gotten through high school without you watching my back and helping me out with all the bullies that chose to beat me up instead of going to practice… whatever they do. Unfortunately, I couldn't go Robin on their butts, or else I'd risk exposing my identity. And I want to say thanks for helping Kaldur and me out. I know you left the life behind, and I should've just left you guys alone, but I didn't. I'm so sorry. And Wally, I know we're not really the best of friends we were… but I've tried so hard to keep everything from falling apart. I wish that I could've done something different that may have made our future brighter, but, as always, something goes wrong. Makes me wonder if life just hates me all together. First my parents die, then my little brother is killed in an explosion, and now my best friend hates me… I think that clenches it. But, I leave for you and Artemis some of the souvenirs that I managed to recover from Mount Justice. Also, I made contact with Perdita a few weeks ago… I remembered that sword you told me about, and she was more than happy to give it to us for our trophy room. It survived, so I thought I'd hang on to it- it's yours if you do want it. I also leave you guys with a bigger home in Palo Alto- it's one of my safe houses there that I don't even use much anymore. I know your dog would like it, just like you guys will, and it's even a bit closer to campus."_

Nightwing went through the rest of the team and some members of the League.*****

"_I don't want to have a funeral, not like the kind Tula or the second Robin or Ted had. I don't deserve one, not after what I did. I don't want to have a monument of any kind. And most importantly, I don't want you guys to grieve over me. It's best if you just forget about me. I'd ask M'gann to wipe me from your minds, but I know she wouldn't do it. Not after what happened with Kaldur. Just move on with your lives... but never forget that people come and go in our lives, and that everyone has to die some time."_

The video ended at that point. Now, everything from sobs to wails was heard.

This would be the beginning of the toughest time yet in the team's history.

* * *

_**God money nail me up against the wall.  
God money don't want everything he wants it all.**_

* * *

**A/N: I was too lazy to do every member of the team and League... sorry.**

**I'm just terrible, aren't I? (lol, it's okay if you say yes.)**

***EDIT: BATMAN IS INCLUDED IN THE WILL, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LEAGUE, TEAM, AND PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE LEAGUE AND TEAM! I ran out of ideas to give, so I SKIPPED them. If I recieve one more review about it, I will either remove the review, restrict reviewing (which I don't wish to do), or tell you to look in this A/N, because, as I said on the alternate ending of "It Ends Tonight," I really HATE answering the same question over and over again. If I recieve more then ten reviews asking this question (not counting the ones already here), I will not continue this story.**


	2. Of Great Urgency

**A/N: READ BEFORE YOU EVEN READ THIS STORY!**

**Since people don't seem to understand that I hate making chapters super long, I'm going to say this once. I only did six people that weren't on the team/left the team. This in no way means that the team didn't tell anyone else. OTHER PEOPLE KNOW. If I recieve any reviews saying "Why didn't you do so-and-so?" I'll be a smartass and tell you to look here or, if you're a guest, delete your review.**

* * *

**Chapter 2- Of Great Urgency**

_**No you can't take it  
No you can't take it  
No you can't take that away from me**_

* * *

**Tempest**

Garth had a feeling that something was wrong when Aquaman told him to come to the palace. He wasn't sure what it was just yet, but he was hoping that it wasn't as bad as he thought it was. He had good reason to think this way- the last time he was told to come to the palace because it was of great urgency, he was told that Tula was killed in action.

"Your majesty… what has happened?" Garth asked upon seeing his former mentor.

Aquaman wasted no time answering the Atlantian's question. "The team has suffered another casualty… one that has a much bigger impact than when they lost Tula."

Garth's heart nearly stops. He is aware that there are members of the team that are very important. He's afraid to ask, but can't stop the words from coming out of his mouth. "Who? Who did the team lose this time?"

Orin can sense the tension in the water. "Nightwing. He died shortly after a surgical procedure after being stabbed in the chest by Vandal Savage."

Garth stares at the king in disbelief. Nightwing, the intelligent, humorous, perhaps somewhat insane, and cool-headed Nightwing, was dead. The team's leader- _formal_ leader- the same one that was OCD when it came to planning out every possible scenario (a habit garnered from his years under Batman's tutelage), making sure he had a contingency for every contingency, was dead. The dark knight of Bludhaven that Garth knew, perhaps not as well as Kaldur or Wally or anyone from the original team, but enough to know the kind of person he was, was dead.

"This cannot be… please, my king, tell me that this isn't true."

"It is, Garth. I had arrived at the Watchtower shortly before he passed. I was there."

Garth couldn't believe this. He couldn't. Hid king had to be lying.

He went to see for himself if it was true.

* * *

**Donna Troy**

Donna had arrived at Themyscira within moments of Diana calling her. Diana had told her that she had something very important to tell her. Donna, as serious as she was about this type of thing, quickly wrapped up her business with stopping a monster with a single punch and hightailed it to Themyscira. Surely the authorities could handle clean-up duty.

Donna landed on the steps of one of the fighting platforms, the same one she and Diana would use to train back when she was Wonder Girl.

"Sister?" Donna asked.

"I'm here."

Donna turned around, and what she was surprised her. Diana was crying, and from the looks of it, had been for a while.

"Diana… Diana, what's wrong?" Donna asked, rushing over to her older sister.

"Donna… he's dead… great Hera, he's dead." Diana said.

"Who?" Donna was afraid to ask this, but she knew her older sister wouldn't be crying over this for nothing.

"Dick." She said.

As Donna predicted, it was in fact someone fairly close to Diana. Donna knew that Diana thought of Dick as a son. Donna had gotten very close to him… they were like brother and sister within a week. She had joined the team along with Tula and Garth. Dick was one of the first friends she made. She, like Garth, chose to leave after Tula died, but now, she was wishing she had at least been there to back him up.

"How? Who killed him?" Donna asked.

"Vandal Savage had stabbed him with his spear. Even with M'gann's healing abilities and Doctor Mid-Nite's medical knowledge, it was not enough to save him. He died after he gave Tim his will." Diana said.

Donna felt tears slide down her face. "No…"

Diana embraces her sister, ignoring the wetness on the front of her top. Donna's fists clench, and Diana doesn't even need to ask what's going through her head.

She already knew.

* * *

**Starfire**

Koriand'r had flown from Russia, where she had been assisting Red Star and Kole with a situation there, all the way to Bludhaven where M'gann asked to see her. The Tamaranian had a feeling that something was wrong, and had quickly agreed to speak with her. She had met up with the Martian on top of the police department building, where she would usually see Dick when he was out patrolling.

Kori had the feeling that Dick was involved in this for some reason.

"M'gann, what is wrong?" Kori asked, concern in her voice. She knew very well that M'gann was distraught.

"It's about Dick." M'gann said.

It was as the princess predicted. She knew this wasn't good news, since M'gann had tears in her eyes.

"He is gone." Kori whispered.

"How did you-"

"Your tone… it told me that he…"

She couldn't continue.

"Kori… he died a hero. He died fighting, and he tried to hold on… but he lost that battle with death."

Kori sniffled. "Who did it? Who killed him?"

"Vandal Savage… he stabbed him in the chest. Doctor Mid-Nite tried his best to save him, but he died shortly after surgery."

"I will find him." Koriand'r said, "I will be sure that he regrets what he has done."

"The League is tracking him as we speak. I promise you, I'll call you when we find him. You're not the only one that wants to make sure he gets what's coming to him." M'gann said.

Kori nodded. "When is his funeral?"

"Undecided. In his will, he said that he didn't want a funeral, but we're going to give him one anyway. It just… it doesn't feel right, not after all he's done for us. He's been cryogenically frozen until then."

Kori nodded. She flew off, with tears in her eyes.

* * *

**Catwoman**

Selina was in the middle of what she did best- stealing. Of course, nobody knew at that point that something had been taken… they'd find out in the morning. In this case, they wouldn't know that their sapphire cat had been taken by the thief until then.

Selina knew, though, that one person would know.

Batman.

For now, she hasn't seen him. She managed to get it out of Robin and Batgirl that he was away and that Nightwing was trying to patrol Gotham in addition to his city, Bludhaven. Now, Selina had a bit of soft spot for the Robins, especially Richard, so she chose not to steal (much) while Bruce was away. In fact, she even helped the teen out, knowing that he'd work himself to death if he kept pulling double duty as well as working with the team, college, and whatever he was doing in what little spare time he had. Selina also had this motherly instinct, one that would alert her when something was wrong.

She felt that familiar instinct when Batman, along with Batgirl and Robin, stopped her. At first, she thought it would be the typical lecture on why stealing was wrong that eventually led to Batman telling his little partners to finish patrol while they did something much more exciting. But she knew something was off when Batgirl kept Robin close, as though she might lose him if she let go.

Even though she couldn't see his eyes, Selina knew very well that Bruce was avoiding her gaze.

"What happened?" She asked.

"There has been a death in the family." Batman said.

"Oh my god… it's not… he's not… is he?"

Bruce knew very well who Selina was talking about.

The sob that came from Robin confirmed her suspicion.

Richard Grayson was dead.

Barbara had pulled Tim into a tight hug, trying her best to stay strong. She whispered to him, telling him that everything would be okay. Selina knew she was lying, but she knows she would've done the same.

"Oh my god…" Selina said, "He can't be dead."

"He is. Vandal Savage killed him." Bruce said.

Selina shook her head. This couldn't be happening.

But it was.

* * *

**Jade Nguyen and Paula Crock**

When Jade heard the knock at the door, she was expecting Roy to walk in, finished with patrol, not a crying Artemis.

"Artemis, what's wrong?" Jade asked. She thought it had something to do with a certain speedster, but the answer she received surprised her even more.

"He's dead! He's… he's dead…" Artemis said.

"Who?" Paula asked, trying to calm her daughter down.

"N-Nightwing… oh my god, he's fucking dead."

Had it been any other reason, Paula would've chided Artemis for using such language around Lian, but at this point, she didn't care. Right now, Artemis was crying her eyes out because her friend- no, brother- was dead.

It came as a surprise to both Paula and Jade. Paula was well aware that Nightwing had been trained by Batman, so he was always very well-prepared. Jade, though she'd never admit it out loud, always thought Nightwing was incredibly skilled, especially since he had fought her a few times and hadn't died.

"Who did it? I swear, if it was dad-"

"Vandal Savage." Artemis said, "Vandal Savage murdered Nightwing."

Jade narrowed her eyes. "Then, it looks like Vandal will be receiving a visit from me sometime soon."

* * *

_**No you can't take it  
No you can't take it  
No you can't take that away from me**_

* * *

**A/N: Ooooh, Jade, what chu gonna do, gurl? (I'm so sorry.)**

**Next chapter will be up at some point!**

**On an unrelated note, people really seemed to enjoy Tim's rant in "Liar." People were like "Go Robin!" and stuff...**


	3. Anomaly

**A/N: I can already tell you all that the end of this story will be a cliffy... so, but the time the very last chapter comes around, be prepared for a follow-up for this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 3- Anomaly**

_**Head like a hole  
Black as your soul  
I'd rather die than give you control**_

* * *

Conner stood in the memorial garden, looking at Dick's hologram, which stood next to Jason's. It was the most recent image they had. It was from the team's picture in December, so Nightwing stood proudly. Conner just wished that the teen was still alive now, so he'd be able laugh about how ridiculous he thinks he looks.

He'd really miss that kid's ridiculous jokes and puns… but that kid disappeared after Kaldur's "betrayal" and Artemis's supposed "death."

"I can't help but blame myself for this, Dick. If I were just a little faster…" Conner had been blaming himself for what happened. Even as he told Supergirl, Power Girl, Argent, Raven, and Cyborg, he had to fight the urge to break down and punch the nearest thing. He couldn't bear to tell anyone else the Nightwing was dead.

"Dick, I don't think I can tell anyone else that you're dead. I could barely handle telling Kara that you were gone. And Vic, when I told him, he cried. Victor Stone _cried_! And Zatanna… nobody's seen her since she came back after telling Zachary what happened. I don't know where she is or if she's alright, but Doctor Fate let Zatara out to find her."

Conner crossed his arms and took a shaky breath. "Wally hasn't left you. He's been there since we've finished watching your will. God, I've seen him upset over things before, but they've almost always been for stupid reasons, not because somebody's dead. He was the only one to not have to tell anyone because he just wasn't able to keep control of himself. He was so confident that you'd make it out of this one… dammit, look at him now. Now, he can barely keep control of himself.

"But Tim's gotta be one of the people who are the most upset. He doesn't want to be alone… I can't blame him though. I mean, he just lost his big brother… the same one that promised him that he'd be there. Tim, he knows it's not your fault, that you wouldn't leave him of your own free will, but he still feels upset about it.

"I've got to go… but I promise I'll look after Tim. I promise I'll keep him safe."

* * *

Wally sat next to his best friend's body, which was in a cryogenic chamber. His green eyes were now red and puffy from crying. Wally had never cried as much in his life, as far as he could remember. He couldn't believe that this was happening-

_Nononononohecan'tbedeadhecan'tbedeadHECAN'TBEDEAD!_

-It had to be a nightmare. It had to be.

_Yes. It's just a nightmare. I have to wake up. Wake up West, wake up!_

Wally pinched himself so hard, he drew blood.

It wasn't a nightmare.

Wally placed a hand on Dick's cryogenic chamber. "Dick… I'm so sorry. I… I shouldn't have said any of that stuff. I should've said that when I still had the chance. Now, one of your last memories of me is our fight. I didn't think that… that this would ever happen. Now while you're still so young."

_[Kid] Flash fact: Wallace West still viewed Dick Grayson as a goofy, awkward thirteen-year-old kid, not the mature, not as awkward nineteen-year-old lying __**dead**__ in the cryogenic coffin._

And, yes, to Wally, it was in fact a coffin. They were just keeping him in there until they had told everyone with some sort of connection that he was in fact dead. Then they'd have the funeral… the funeral for Nightwing, and to a lesser extent, Dick Grayson.

_Nobody knew what Dick did… but some thought that everyone should know._

"Right now, Bruce has reported you missing… they're going to announce that Nightwing died in action soon… but we have members of the League and team that want the world to know that Dick Grayson is in fact Nightwing. I, for one, think they should. They need to know what you've done for everyone… and they don't have to know that Bruce is Batman, or the Barbara is Batgirl, or that Tim is Robin."

_Maybe if I just ran backwards, it would turn time back, too…_

A voice (one that sounded a lot like Dick), said, _You know that wouldn't work, Walls._

Great, now he was hearing voices. That's just perfect.

"Man… I wish Bart's time machine was working. I'd give anything to go back and relieve the times when we helped gorillas and tracked down missing scientists. We really did have it easier back then, didn't we?"

He remembered all the pranks they pulled on the team and league, all the sleepovers they had, all the monster movies and _Doctor Who _episodes they watched together. Those thoughts just brought more tears to his eyes.

"The fun had to end at some point, but I didn't want it to. I never thought I'd ever want to stop being Kid Flash, but after Jason died… just seeing you, of all people, grieving the way you did… it was like you lost your parents all over again. I heard 'aster' and 'chalant' less and less, your smiles seemed more fake than ever, and it seemed that we were drifting apart. I guess it didn't help much when I left, and not once did I ever think you needed me. I shouldn't have done that to you. I should've been there, helping you, not yelling at you when I was doing next to nothing. And now, it's too late. I was just too slow, and didn't realize I hurt you until you were dead. I'm sorry."

Wally wiped his eyes. "Maybe… maybe there's still hope. So many strange things have happened before, and I've seen people come back to life before. Maybe… maybe there's still time, y'know, to get you to a Lazarus pit. Maybe there's still a chance! Couldn't… couldn't Zatanna bring you back?"

Wally had risen from his chair as he said all that, but sat back down and said, "Oh, who am I kidding? We both know Batman wouldn't allow us to use the Lazarus pit… Ra's wouldn't even allow us to do so. And Zatanna would say that bringing you back would involve black magic and wouldn't do it, even though she loves you. But, man… Bart said that you were supposed to lead some group called the Titans. Now that you won't be able to do that-"

Wally was interrupted by a knock on the door. Wally decided that he might as well answer it. When he opened the door, Bart shot in with a beaten up history book.

"Wally, there's some kind of glitch in history!" Bart said, holding up the book, titled _Justice: A History of the Justice League and Young Justice_. "Thereshould'vebeenachangeinthis-"

Wally cut his cousin off, "Bart, you know I can't keep up with you when you go all speedster on me. Now, what about a glitch in history?"

"Oh, sorry… Well, every time I crash the mode, I check this history book, and a section of it changes. When we got Blue off mode, for example, the entire section on the Reach's hostile takeover disappeared. When the Flash didn't die, the section on his death was replaced with one on his run-in with Neutron. So, I checked on the section with Nightwing- it's actually quite extensive, mind you- and there was no change. Instead of it saying _'Dick Grayson, A.K.A. Robin I/Nightwing, 1996-2016_' it actually said _'1996-2033,'_ which was his original year of death. This means that this had happened, but was somehow brought back."

"Let me see that." Wally said. Bart handed him the book, and he read the section Bart pointed at.

_Dick Grayson, A.K.A. Robin I/Nightwing (1996-2033)_

"How can that be? This makes no sense." Wally said.

"I don't know. It's not specified, at least not in Dick's section of the book." Bart said, "I can look into it, though."

Wally nodded. "You do that. Do you happen to have any other history books with any mentions of Nightwing?"

"Yes, but I'm not quite sure if any of them will be of any help. Some of them only just mentions him."

"Good enough. I'll take a few and look through them, and we can compare notes."

Bart nodded, and bolted. He was back in a flash (excuse the pun), arms full of books.

"You take these." Bart said.

"Alright."

"And Wally?"

"Yes."

"Do not look at anyone else's timelines, not even your own. Just stick to Nightwing's since there's an anomaly there. And most importantly, don't tell anyone about this. If too many people know about this, something's bound to go wrong."

Wally nodded, "Okay."

Bart sped out of the room, leaving Wally and Dick's lifeless body behind. Wally looked at his best friend and wonders if he's even actually dead.

* * *

_**Head like a hole  
Black as your soul  
I'd rather die than give you control**_

* * *

**A/N: IS Dick actually dead? If he is, WHY does the history book from the future have the year of his actual death? WILL Wally read other people's timelines? WHY am I asking all these questions?**

**(I'msosorry.) Anyway, I've decided that there will be a follow-up for this follow-up. I will start on it, but I won't tell any of you the title until the last chapter, since it gives spoilers. (And no, I won't even tell you, Lakeshine)**


	4. Burnt Pages

**A/N: Okay, so, from now until the second to last chapter, I'll drop hints as to what causes the time anomaly. Your first hint: It was a major storyline in the mainstream DC Comics. I will say that it is NOT the Flashpoint arc, so it's a storyline BEFORE that. (Please do not guess in a review. If you really feel the need to guess, please send me a PM. I WILL NOT say if you're right or wrong... I might not even respond.)**

* * *

**Chapter 4- Burnt Pages**

_**Bow down before the one you serve  
You're going to get what you deserve**_

* * *

Bart looked at the history book that he had obtained from the library in the future. (Technically, it wasn't stealing, since the library had been destroyed and the book was buried under a bunch of ash.) He had to find what caused the anomaly, and in order to do that, he'd need to study carefully, diligently.

In other words, he had to take it _slow_.

Bart took out a notepad and pen (He still couldn't believe people still used these, even if it was the past. It's 2016, for crying out loud!) and opened to book to Nightwing's section.

_Okay… here goes…_

* * *

_**Dick Grayson, A.K.A Robin I/Nightwing (1996-2033; Age 37)**_

_Team Year Five _

_2016 was a year of great change in the team. In team year four, Kaldur'ahm, the team's original leader, had passed on leadership to Nightwing, in order to go undercover as a double agent for the team's new leader. When the plan hit a snag, on March 19, 2016, Nightwing was forced to send in Artemis to help, as well as a way to cement his position in Black Manta's ranks. It was not enough, as he was forced to allow the destruction of Mount Justice, the captures of many teammates, and many other unforeseen obstacles. Three months after Artemis's fake death, Kaldur and Artemis returned from their deep cover mission. Artemis went back to retirement, and Kaldur returned to the team. Nightwing remained the leader of the team, but the trust his teammates had for him had been shaken greatly._

_Shortly after everything was starting to go back to normal, Vandal Savage was trying to reform the Light. The entire team, in addition to Zatanna Zatara and Black Lightning, was sent to stop it. Nightwing was stabbed in the chest and had to undergo an emergency surgery, and had only a ten percent chance of survival._

* * *

That was it. There was nothing else in that section. It skipped to team year six, in which Nightwing left the team to start the Titans.

Bart looked at his notes. Instead on answers to what had caused the time anomaly, he had drawings of Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit on a rocket ship, fighting off those ink monster things from Wasteland.*****

_Hey, it's actually a nice picture…_

Bart tore the piece of paper out of the notepad and grabbed the next book he had, which specifically covered team year five. Hopefully, Bart could uncover something in this one.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wally was in the library of the Watchtower. He closed the book that Bart had given him, which was an encyclopedia of heroes. There was only a page or so on Nightwing, and none of that information covered the team at all. Wally had looked through six of the ten books Bart had found for him to look through. Some of them were badly damaged, so Wally had to use the Watchtower's technology to restore bits and pieces (he wasn't too great with technology, but he could do something as simple as restoring damaged files) of the writing.

Wally had even come up with a few things on his own without even reading the books, including the theory of the Lazarus pit, the fact that it might not actually be Nightwing in there, or he was somehow brought back through unknown circumstances… perhaps black magic or some ancient Indian ritual?

Okay, maybe Wally was still in denial.

_Maybe you should try __**re-nial**__, Walls._

There it was again… Dick's voice…

Wally thought that he must've been going insane, if he was hearing Dick's voice. But, man, this was his best friend he was talking about! His best friend was dead, for crying out loud!

_No… not according to Bart's history book…_

Wally picked up the next book, which was an album full of newspaper clippings labeled "Nightwing" in very neat handwriting. Wally knew that this was work someone in the future had done, and it most definitely wasn't Bart who did it.

Wally opened the book to an article from mid-July, 2016. It was close enough to this date. Wally started reading, pen in hand, hoping to find out what happened.

* * *

"The answer is no, Donna."

"Batman, he was as much a member of the Teen Titans as he was the team. Give me one good reason why he shouldn't have a statue in Titan's Memorial."

Batman turned to Donna. Typically, nobody dared to question Batman. However, Donna, despite her looks, was just as scary as Batman could be. If looks could kill, her glare would be the only weapon she'd ever need.

"My son might not be dead." Batman said.

"What? Batman, that can't be. You saw him die." Donna said.

"I know… that's all the more reason for me to investigate this. I overheard Bart and Wally talking in Dick's room. Bart has a history book that, according to him, changes when he changes something in the past. Apparently, after Dick died, nothing happened. He died in 2016, but the book said he died in 2033. The book doesn't specify anything that could've caused it. They're researching this, but I doubt they'll get too far… so I'll have to investigate myself."

"I don't believe this…" Donna whispered, "He's supposed to live another seventeen years… what could've happened? What… what caused this?"

"I don't know… but something tells me that we'll find out very soon." Batman said, "Meanwhile, Donna, I'll need you to assemble a team to search for Vandal. The League can't be searching everywhere at once, so another squad- one with more energy- would help in their search."

"I'll get right on it." Donna said. Donna flew towards the Zeta Tubes.

**Recognized: Tempest B10**

"Garth!" Donna called.

"Donna, please tell me that Aquaman was lying to me." Garth said.

Donna knew exactly what he was talking about.

"No… he wasn't." Donna whispered, "Nightwing is dead."

"No…" Garth whispered.

"Garth, listen to me. We need to track down Vandal Savage. Contact Red Star and Argent, and I'll contact Starfire and Zachary."******

* * *

Wally sighed. He still had next to nothing on the time anomaly, even less so on any of his theories relating to Nightwing's death and resurrection. Wally threw the album of news articles off to the side, frustrated about all of this. He did, however, notice that between late July and December of 2016, there were no articles featuring Nightwing. Wally didn't know why, but he was hoping to find out.

Wally picked up the next book, when he saw a badly burnt book beneath it. Wally picked it up, but he couldn't make out the writing too well. However, it was fairly easy to restore, and he was soon able to read the title, _Nightwing's Case Notes_.

Now, Wally knew Nightwing kept everything on his laptop… why was this so different?

As Wally got to work restoring the book, he wondered if this was the lead that he was looking for.

* * *

_**Bow down before the one you serve  
You're going to get what you deserve**_

* * *

**A/N: *If it's not Doctor Who, it's Epic Mickey. If you haven't played the original one, YOU MUST. It's one of the best games I've ever played. My favorite level (the one I'm also currently stuck on) is the Lonesome Manor level.**

****I know that [almost] everyone knows who Starfire is, but I'm afraid that the other three might be confusing to some. Argent is a hero that appeared in the Teen Titans show in their final season... I'm afraid I don't really know much about her. Redstar is a Russian superhero (which means more of my terrible Russian accent and inaccurate Google translations), one of my favorites from Teen Titans because he's just so sweet. (Well... not really in the mainstream comics... but he is in the cartoon.) And Zachary Zatara is Zatanna's cousin in the mainstream comics. Sadly, he wasn't in the show :( I would've loved to see Zachary Zatara in action, even though his magic can't directly work on living beings. (Also, he would've been great in YJ... he just reminds me of Dick for some reason.) Plus, the guy can see the dead, so, I thought, "Oh, hey, he could totally verify if Nightwing is dead or not... but that'll have to wait."**

**Now, the next chapter will be excerpts from Nightwing's Case Notes... Will Wally figure anything out? You'll have to wait and see~**

**Once again, that hint for the final chapter is that it is related to a huge storyline that took place BEFORE Flashpoint. DO NOT GUESS IN REVIEWS!**


	5. Nightwing's Case Notes

**A/N: Oww... my brain... it hurts! This chapter's well over 4,000 words, so hopefully that makes up for the wait.**

**And here's your next hint for the follow-up for this story: This arc was AFTER Knightfall. (So, to recap: Major arc before Flashpoint, but after Knightfall.)**

**Remember: NO GUESSING IN REVIEWS!**

* * *

**Chapter 5- Nightwing's Case Notes**

_**God money's not looking for the cure  
God money's not concerned with the sick amongst the pure**_

* * *

Parts of the journal were so badly burnt, Wally wasn't able to restore it. However, there were a few sections of it that he did restore, and was now able to read some of it.

* * *

**July 4, 2013**

_Normally, I would __**never**__ do something like this… however, I know that paper is easier to destroy than a file on a computer. Technology can be recovered… papers can't, unless you have a working time machine or a high-tech restoration program, like the one in the Watchtower or in Mount Justice._

_Batman would have my head for this, but for two weeks he hasn't had a say in my decisions. In fact, he doesn't know what I've been planning. He won't know until after today. I went to see the team, since I hadn't been there for two weeks. They had been worried, especially M'gann, and when I told them I was no longer Robin, they freaked out. When they asked if I was going to be taken off the team, I told them Batman had no say in that matter- and it's true. Batman has no say in who joins or leaves the team. He made that clear on the day we officially became a team._

_As of today, I leave Batman's shadow. I'm no longer Robin. Today, I'm Nightwing, and the first thing I'm going to do is tell my friends who I really am._

* * *

**August 10, 2013**

_Batman wanted me to help test the newest Robin, Jason Todd. Since going back to working solo wasn't the same, he decided it would be best to have another Robin at his side, and I can't blame him. It's taken me weeks to get used to working solo in Bludhaven. So, I agreed, since it would be nice to have a little brother. I mean, you get tired of being the little one on your team, even when you're almost eighteen and almost the same height as Conner._

_I met with Batman in the Batcave before Jason got home from school. Batman told me he wanted me to do the gauntlet, in which Jason has to avoid me for the night. He's already warned me that the kid is street smart and awfully sneaky. So, with that in mind, I made sure to think like he would, and go to the places I would least expect him to go. So, I went to Crime Alley. It was practically deserted, save for him and me. And I was just about to pounce when my phone went off, playing Icona Pop's "I Love It" (Please don't ask.), which caused my not-technically-my-replacement to turn around and run for it._

_Although, Jason __**did**__ have time to say that my choice in music sucked, and that I should change my ringtone. (I had to remind myself that if I did catch him, I'd have to make sure I didn't ring his neck.)_

_Long story short, Jason succeeded evading me for the night… but I may or may not have chosen to let him avoid me. After all, Batman does need somebody to keep him sane._

_After Jason was officially given the mantle, he was temporarily given my old costume until we could make one of his own. Batman then asked me to introduce him to the team after he's had a little while to get used to the hero life. I agreed, knowing that we could always use new members. Then, after that, he lectured me on my choice of music. Jeez, would you believe that this is coming from a guy that listens to Carrie Underwood?_

* * *

Wally had to keep himself from laughing. God, he remembered Dick's terrible taste in music. Icona Pop's "I Love It" was Dick's favorite song for months and it remained his ringtone until he changed it to Cobra Starship's "Hot Mess" after Jason's death.

"It reminded me of Jason…" was all Dick said. Now he saw why "I Love It" reminded him of Jason.

* * *

**October 20, 2013**

_As of today, there have been a total of four members that joined the team, and four that chose not to be on the team, but are on our reserve list. Garfield Logan, A.K.A. Beast Boy, the same kid that M'gann gave blood to, Tula, A.K.A. Aquagirl, who Kaldur is obviously in love with, Garth, A.K.A. Tempest, Kaldur's best friend and Tula's boyfriend, Donna Troy, A.K.A. Troia, Wonder Woman's younger sister, and Jason Todd, A.K.A. Robin (II), the kid who almost stole tires from the Batmobile have all joined the team. Our newest additions (okay, okay, the first) to the reserve list are Redstar, a good friend of the team in Russia, Zachary Zatara, Zatanna's cousin that can't directly affect living beings with his spells but can see the dead, Supergirl, Superman's (and, to some extent, Conner's) cousin, and Cyborg, a technological guru about as good as I am, if not, better. The team is really starting to come along, especially in recent months._

_For starters, the freshmen are learning quickly. Since Garth and Tula are already very well trained, they both don't really need much help with anything. They follow every order Kaldur gives, which is something I myself even have a hard time doing. Gar tends to get a bit distracted, but he is ten years old. I mean, when I was nine, I got distracted very often, but I had a good teacher. Hopefully M'gann and the rest of the team can get him to work harder at concentration. Donna is one of the more skilled of the rookies. Being an Amazon, it's a given that she'd be as strong and powerful as her sister. Now, Jason is a bit of a problem. Since Batman's always so busy, he's had me work with him. Jason's strong, smart, and skilled, but it's his presumptuousness that gets the better of him. In the field, he needs to learn to keep a cool head, or else he'll get himself killed. But this doesn't mean he isn't good. In fact, I think being Robin helped him. He's lived on the street for a long time, even picked up an awful smoking habit. But he didn't have much trouble kicking that habit since the first time he punched a Gotham rogue. I've become confident in his skills to even propose that he lead a small squad when Kaldur would not be on the team._

_Let's just hope this doesn't come back to haunt me._

* * *

**January 1, 2014**

_Wally and Artemis left the team today._

_They both said that they didn't want to keep doing this forever. Rather, they want to focus on school and get a career. They want to have the chance to settle down with someone (hopefully with each other) and have a family. And I don't blame them. This life isn't meant for everyone. Artemis only started doing what she did just to clean her family's slate, something she didn't have to do, and no matter how hard she tried, wouldn't be able to do so. Wally outgrew __**wanting **__to be a hero. He said he was getting slower, that he'd be useless… and he's outgrown the childish want to run at the speed of sound and save the world._

_I could understand that… but what I couldn't understand was the fact that he tried to get me to come with him. He told me that I still had my life ahead of me, that I could leave and nobody would think any different of me. But, unlike him, I was meant to do this. I was meant to help people. Had my parents not died, I'd still be flipping over the heads of an audience, being blinded by the colourful lights of the circus. But that didn't happen, and I'm here now. And I told him that. I told him that this was something I did to help others._

_And you know what? He didn't try to convince me after that. He's brought it up, yeah, but never tried to keep trying to get me to retire. He's accepted my decision to go on, just as I accepted his to stop. But, he didn't really have much of a choice… best friends are supposed to go along with this kind of thing._

_But why do I feel that it's tearing us apart?_

* * *

**May 13, 2014**

_He's dead… Jason Todd is dead._

_It was supposed to be a simple mission. It was just me, Conner, M'gann, and him. We were supposed to prevent Ra's al Ghūl from launching a nuclear missile at Bludhaven, the most crime-infested city in the modern world. I was to lead the team._

_So, I came up with a plan. Distract Ra's, stop the missile, and we'd go home. But there was one thing we hadn't counted on._

_Joker._

_The Joker was allied with Ra's. I didn't understand why, but I guessed it had something to do with his unpredictable nature. Joker ran off after his minions were taken out and Jason went after him. I couldn't believe it! When I went to follow them, they were gone._

_I panicked. And when you're the leader, you shouldn't panic. That's the very last thing you want to do. I had M'gann scan the area for Jason, trying my best to stay calm. When she found him, she told me he was hurt, that he was scared._

_As we got closer, the fear on the psychic link became stronger as we got closer. Just as M'gann landed and let us out, the warehouse she said he was in exploded._

_I ran as fast as I could. I could hear Conner behind me. I didn't care that my muscles were on fire as I dug through the burning remains of the warehouse. All I cared about was getting to my brother._

_When I finally got to him, he was just barely alive. There was just so much blood… the Joker had beaten him. And the explosion only made it worse. M'gann told me he wasn't going to make it. She told me that he was going to die. I didn't want to believe her. But she was right… in the back of my mind, I knew she was right._

_I held him, even after his heart stopped beating and his breathing ceased. I ignored the looks of concern I got from M'gann and Conner. I didn't bother wiping any of the tears from my face. I didn't say a word… I didn't even scream the entire way back._

_It wasn't until we got back to Mount Justice that I finally broke down. I screamed until my throat was dry and almost bleeding and my eyes hurt from crying. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the medlab, in the bed next to my little brother's corpse._

* * *

**September 11, 2014**

_Since Jason's death, we've lost and gained a few members. Tula was killed in action, and with her death, Garth and Donna both left the team. Some of Conner's friends from high school, Mal Duncan and Karen Beecher, have joined the team. Karen had taken the codename Bumblebee, and Mal is now our Ops Manager. Barbara, who took the name Batgirl, just recently joined, which is pretty cool. And with her access to police information, it will only help when it comes to researching targets._

_Since Tula's death, Kaldur has been taking it hard. On the surface, he's still calm and collected… but I know there's a storm brewing on the inside. I was the same way when Jason died, so I know what he's going through. And I know it's tough, but I can't do much._

_From what I heard, the Light has formed an alliance with the infamous mercenary, Deathstroke. It's still a rumor, but my source is reliable. After all, it's coming from someone very close to him_

* * *

**March 9, 2015**

_Black Manta is Kaldur's father._

_Nobody, not even Kaldur, knew this. But it didn't change our opinion of him, even a little. There are many people that we know and love who have come from a family of criminals. Artemis, Rose, Joseph, and, in a way, Conner, all have blood-related connections to crime. But they chose to go a different path from that their family chose. Artemis had overheard her parents talk about training her for the "family business" and, with her ex-con mother's permission, became a hero. Joseph wanted to do good from the start, knowing he would be at odds with his father, which was difficult. Rose took a great deal of convincing, but eventually say what her father was doing was wrong. And Conner… if we hadn't got to him, he wouldn't be on our side._

_Kaldur knows we don't think any differently of him. But the loss of Tula, the love of his life, and learning that his father was Black Manta, can take its toll on a guy._

* * *

**June 13, 2015**

_I had thought that Robin had died with Jason… but it appears that I was wrong. Robin wasn't dead… he was just away for a while._

_The newest Robin is Timothy Drake, a cautious, insecure, but incredibly intelligent kid._

_Acrobatics and fighting isn't his strongest subjects. He has to work twice as hard as I had to in order to be able to move like a Robin, and he uses the quick, agile movements he was taught to avoid combat. Not the way I'd do it, or the way Jason would, for that matter, but he's got a lot of heart._

_As stated, his intellect is above average for a kid his age. He's almost fourteen, and yet Tim's a modern day Sherlock Holmes. He figured out my secret identity, as well as Batman's, just by watching and recognizing my style of acrobatics from my days in the circus. I have to say, I was surprised when Tim knocked on my door and practically said, "Hi, my name's Tim Drake, and I know you were the original Robin and now Nightwing, and Bruce Wayne is Batman. I know what happened to Jason Todd, and the fact that he was the second Robin. It's nice to meet you."_

_This was something I had to tell Bruce._

_After I told him, Bruce wanted to meet Tim. So, I brought Tim to the Batcave. Bruce wanted him to explain to us how he learned our identities._

_Tim's story was an interesting one. When he was four, he went to the circus the night my parents were murdered. I remembered what he was talking about. I saw a woman, a man, and their child- Tim- right before I went on. Tim wanted a picture with us. I even told him I'd dedicate that night's performance to him. He was there when he saw my parents fall to the ground, and apparently had nightmares about it._

_Then, I made my first appearance as Robin. It was one of the few times I've ever been caught on tape. Tim said that he didn't realize it when he was younger, but a few years back, when he was about nine, he saw another clip with me in it, and it clicked. He searched up a video featuring the Flying Graysons and he discovered that Robin and Dick Grayson were one in the same. Using that logic, he deduces that Bruce Wayne was Batman._

_Bruce knew very well that he couldn't make the kid forget. So, he told him that he wasn't looking for a new partner. But Tim said that Batman __**needed**__ a Robin._

_And he was right. So, I stood by the kid._

_Bruce and I both taught the newest Robin. He would be in charge of teaching him hacking, stealth, and what the kid didn't already know about science and detective work. I would be the one to teach him to fight, all the flips and acrobatics he'd need to know, and whatever else Bruce didn't cover. In a few months, he should be ready to join the team._

_I won't make the same mistakes I made with Jason. I will protect Tim with my life._

* * *

Dick had been incredibly depressed since Jason's death, but Tim seemed to help him get over it. He was smiling and laughing again by the time Tim was officially given the mantle of Robin, but he still was far from his old, nerdy, goofy self.

* * *

**July 12, 2015**

_I took over as leader for the team today… and I can say that this was something that I didn't want to happen._

_Everyone was happy, really. Everybody on the team, members past and present, were congratulating me, telling me that I was meant to be the leader of this team. I kept up a façade, fooling everyone into thinking I was actually excited to be the leader. Even Batman seemed to be fooled._

_Since that failsafe simulation, I've seriously been questioning myself and my leadership skills. It was because of me that everyone 'died.' I had, for a while, become Batman. This isn't who I want to be… I can't turn out like him. I can't let that happen._

_Wally had told me that I was right… this life was meant for me. He and Artemis both said I was the perfect leader for the team._

_They couldn't be more wrong about that._

* * *

**August 20, 2015**

_Kaldur has betrayed the team. Or, at least, that's what everybody thinks._

_In reality, Kaldur has been sent on a deep cover mission. So far, I'm the only one that knows. I needed someone to spy on the Light, bring us closer to finding out who their 'partner' is. Kaldur agreed to it, and we staged his betrayal. In order for it to look good, I went on a mission with Kaldur and Conner. Conner, who didn't know what we were doing, was caught off guard when Kaldur suddenly attacked me. I had given him a small shard of Kryptonite earlier, enough to keep Conner down while we fought._

_Right before he delivered the finishing blow, Kaldur gave me a look that seemed to say "Are you sure about this?" Since Conner wasn't watching, I nodded. That finishing blow ended up breaking my leg, but it did get Black Manta to accept his son with open arms._

"_Consider this your only warning." Kaldur said, "Next time, I will not let you escape with only a broken bone."_

_If I hadn't known he was only going undercover, I would've been scared._

* * *

**October 31, 2015**

_The Court of Owls is not a myth, not just a nursery rhyme… they truly exist. And I… I was supposed to be one of them._

_Right before Jack Haley died, he told me about the heart of the circus, where I discovered a small book with names. There was nothing else in the book… just a single name on a single page. Imagine my surprise when I found my name in the book._

_At the time, I had no idea why my name was in the book, but I kept it and tried to find out why. Today, on Halloween, of all days, I discovered what the book was for. The book of names was a selection book. And Haley's Circus was a breeding ground for future assassins._

_M'gann, Conner, Tim, Barbara, and I were sent to prevent the assassination of a politician. That night, an assassin- a Talon, according to the nursery rhyme- attacked. But, for some reason, when he saw me, his original target was forgotten, and the next thing I knew, I was dodging knives while the others were scattered over the city, trying to stop other similar crimes._

_The Talon- who I later discovered was my great, great grandfather, William Cobb, and one of the names in the selection book- told me the Court of Owls, the Gray Sons of Gotham, were that gray area in between the black and white world everyone saw in the late 1800's. They would kill those they saw were evil in order to protect the good. However, their definitions of "good" and "evil" were far different from that of the general public._

_The Talon gave me two choices- embrace my so-called destiny, or die trying to resist it. I chose to resist it… but I'm not dead, not yet._

_Right now, as far as we know, the Court is no longer active… but they may rise up again._

_My name is Dick Grayson. I grew up in Haley's Circus, and almost became an assassin. Had my parents not died, had Bruce not taken me in… I wouldn't be the same person anyone knew today. I don't know if my parents knew about it or not, but even if they did, I'd still love them._

_As with Artemis, the crimes of my family do not define me. It's what I'm doing here and now that does._

* * *

This was a memory very vivid in Wally's mind. Dick had been in denial since learning that he was originally supposed to be a Talon. Dick thought he should leave the team, but Artemis had smacked some sense into him- literally. Right in the middle of his "I think it would be best if I left the team" speech, Artemis smacked him. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "It's not your past of your family that defines you." She told him, when it was just the original team members, "It's all you. So, take your own damn advice and stop being so depressed about the fact that your family was a bunch of assassins. You're a Grayson, not a _Gray Son_."

* * *

**March 19, 2016**

_Kaldur hit a snag in the plan. Originally, I had planned on going myself, but with convincing, I asked Artemis instead to go. She agreed to fake her death, as long as she could tell Wally. So, we let Wally in on it, too._

_After we informed the team, after we saw Artemis and Kaldur leave the warehouse, Wally and I talked. Well… it was more like he screamed at me and I listened. I couldn't argue, since I knew I had it coming._

_Wally told me he and Artemis were retired, and that I shouldn't have involved either of them in this. I tried to explain, but I couldn't… he wouldn't let me. I don't blame him, either. I didn't want it to come to this, either. But I said nothing. I didn't want to make it any worse than it already was._

_I suppose I was right when I said Wally leaving the team was tearing us apart._

* * *

**July 12, 2016**

_Artemis and Kaldur have returned from their deep cover mission about a month ago. Everyone had been relieved to know that both were okay, but the team's trust in me is now shaken. They practically put me on trial… I was given a chance to answer questions and defend myself, and members of the team either opposed or defended me. There were a few that remained neutral… Barbara was one of them. Tim had defended me, and he looked like he'd rip Wally to shreds. And Wally… let's just say that I really __**did**__ lose my best friend. I pushed it too far, and… I've become him. I've become __**Batman**__._

_Despite that, I wasn't taken off the team, or forced to step down as leader. Everyone agreed that my logic stood, but… I can't help but feel that I should've just left. I can't lead the team if nobody can trust me._

_I need time to think… I won't go on any missions with the team, not until I've regained their trust… or when they really need me._

* * *

**December 1, 2016**

_I have no idea what happened over the past few months. I just woke up in the medlab and saw the calendar said it was December 1__st__._

_When Wally walked into the room, he noticed I was awake and ran over and hugged me. I was still pretty freaked out, since I woke up and it wasn't July anymore! I thought I was dead, for crying out loud!_

_Wally told me that I was comatose since October 31__st__, but didn't tell me anything after that. That explained the past four-ish weeks, but what about the past few months? Last I recalled, I was dying in the medlab in the Watchtower, saying my goodbyes to everyone._

_Zatanna tried to get my mind off of it by wishing me a happy birthday, but I was a little less concerned about being twenty and a little more about what happened to me. Why was I here if I was dead? Was black magic involved? Did it have anything to do with the Lazarus pit? Was I… Was I even dead?_

_When everyone had left, I asked Bruce to tell me. I __**needed**__ to know why I was here now. He told me that it was because…_

* * *

That was it. That last part had been burnt off the page completely! He wasn't able to restore it! The one page that had the answer was so badly burnt, he couldn't even get to his lead.

But he was close enough… he just had to tell Bart what he found and hope the kid had a solution.

* * *

_**God money let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised.  
God money's not one to choose**_

* * *

**A/N: Oooh, so close... the answer was just a few words away... oh, well.**


	6. Search

**A/N: Yup, I take forever to update... but I hope it's worth it.**

**Also, I now have an Archive of Our Own (AO3) account! If you want it, the link to it is on my profile.**

* * *

**Chapter 6- Search…**

_**No you can't take it  
No you can't take it  
No you can't take that away from me**_

* * *

"I've managed to figure out that Dick was aware of his death, and that he came back to us in October, on Halloween night, to be exact. He was comatose for about four weeks, waking up on December 1st. He had no idea what happened, but apparently Batman explained… however, that part of the page was burnt altogether."

"So," Bart said, "We know Dick will come back within a few months… but, we don't know how."

Wally nodded, "Exactly."

"Well, we're making progress. It's not much, but it's progress." Bart sighed. This was frustrating, to say the least. There's no record of any of this in any history book. There was nothing in any of the newspaper clippings that were saved, and nothing about it in the textbook that focused solely on Nightwing. Really, the only clue they had was Nightwing's case notes, but even that didn't help much, as it was badly burnt. Really, they'd need someone with a working time machine and knowledge over-

_Holy shit, that's it!_

"I got it!"

Wally gave his cousin a look, "What? What is it?"

Bart smiled, "You know Rip Hunter?"

"I know _of_ him. What does he have to do with this?"

"Elementary, my dear Wallace," Bart explained, "See, this guy's a freakin' genius. He's got technology far more advanced than that of the Watchtower, even more so than the kind I'm used to. He might be able to restore more of Nightwing's journal. Hell, for all we know, he might have that entry on record. If we can get him to let us see the entry…"

"We'll figure out what brought Dick back! Dammit, Bart, why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"Hehe… it never occurred to me until I thought 'time machine,' actually."

Wally rolled his eyes, "Oh, whatever! Let's just go see the guy! Do you know where to find him?"

"Yup!"

* * *

Tim hadn't moved from his spot in the Watchtower's memorial room since he got there. He had ditched his mask altogether, not giving a damn about who saw him without it. He didn't even care about what punishment Batman would give to him because of it. He just wanted everyone to leave him alone.

"Tim."

Speak of the devil…

The dark knight's cowl was lowered, revealing Bruce Wayne. The man knelt down to Tim's level.

"Tim… I know this is hard on you."

Tim only sniffled in response. He had long since ran out of tears.

"You and Dick were close… closer than anyone I've ever seen Dick with anyone, even Zatanna. He was proud of you, you know that? Always said you were the best of the Robins… and he was very aware that he set the bar pretty high." Bruce absolutely hated referring to his son in the past tense. It just didn't feel right. When Tim made no response, the dark knight sighed. He now knew that Tim would never be the same.

"We need to fight on, Tim. For Dick." Bruce wanted to tell Tim that Dick would be coming back, that he wasn't truly dead… but he couldn't. The fewer people that knew, the better.

Bruce heard footsteps approaching, so he pulled back on his cowl.

Donna entered the memorial, followed by Garth, Starfire, and Redstar.

"Zachary and Argent should be here shortly," Donna informed Batman, "Once they arrive, we'll go."

Batman nodded, "Good. Before you leave, though, we'll have Zachary search for any traces of magic. Since Vandal Savage and Klarion the Witch Boy have been known for collaborating, there's a very good chance that he's plotting with Klarion. While you search any magical hotspots, I'll have a second squad prepared to search for Savage in areas where he was reported to be seen very recently. He may have returned to any of those places."

While Donna and Garth spoke with Batman, Starfire and Redstar were over with Tim at Nightwing's hologram. Starfire looked like she would cry and Redstar chose to say nothing.

"I cannot believe that he is gone…" The Tamaranian princess was trying hard to stay strong, but it was proving to be more of a challenge than she thought.

"I have not known him like you have, Starfire, but he vill be missed," Redstar said. The Russian hero knew Nightwing well enough to be trusted as a teammate, but had only worked with him a few times. "He did not deserve death. I… I did not believe Donna."

The princess knelt down beside Tim. "Little one… I am so sorry. If I had been there, I would have burnt Vandal savage to ash."

"He can't die…" Tim whispered, "You wouldn't have been able to kill him, Kori."

"Perhaps not, child," Redstar said, "But ve can hurt ze bastard."

Kori pulled Tim into a hug. Tears were in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She needed to stay strong, for Tim, if nothing else.

"He is right, little one. If we cannot kill him, we can hurt him. I will personally see to that. I promise you, I will make sure he regrets killing Dick. I promise you that he will wish he had not even gained that immortality."

Kori would do this for Tim, for Dick.

"Zachary, Argent, it's about time you got here." Donna looked a little annoyed that it took so long. She knew Argent had probably been patching up a broken dam or something, but knowing Zachary, he was probably spending time at a strip club, getting a lap dance from some slut.

"I know what you're thinking Donna, but I promise you, it's not that," Zachary said, "For your information, I was on cleanup duty after big red here left me after killing off some monster."

"Da, it is true," Redstar said, "I left so quickly, I forgot about cleanup."

"Okay, whatever. At least you weren't jacking off with some whore when we seriously needed you. Now, we need you to search for any magical hotspots-"

"Donna…"

Donna turned her attention to Tim, her features softening, "Yes, Tim?"

"I… I want to go with you guys."

"Timothy, it is not safe," Starfire said, "I do not think Dick would-"

"Dick isn't here. It's because of Vandal he's not here to talk sense into me. I don't care if it's not safe, I want to be there."

"I don't see why we shouldn't let him come. Batman?"

"I will send him with the second squad. If you all find Vandal savage, I will have the second squad meet up with you as back-up."

Donna nodded, "Okay, then. Zachary, you know what to do."

* * *

In an abandoned warehouse not too far away from Arkham Asylum only a few minutes later, Batman stood with Robin. He had called in people he thought would be of great help to them in finding Vandal Savage.

_Any minute now…_

"Batman."

"Catwoman."

The leather-clad figure of Catwoman jumped down from the rafters. "I'm assuming that I'm not the only one you called in."

"No. They should be here any moment."

"Batman… I'm sure by now that you've heard that Harley has been trying to walk the straight and narrow-"

"And you think I'll let her help?"

Catwoman gave Batman a glare (a cat-glare, if you'd like to call it that) that rivaled his infamous bat-glare. "I don't know if you remember this little fact, but she's a psychiatrist. Who better to track down an immortal with a god complex than someone like her? And even she'll admit she liked Nightwing, even if they were on different sides. She's trying to forget about the Joker, and what better way to do so than help the Batman find his former partner's murderer?"

"No."

"But-"

"Batman… I think you should do it."

"Robin, how do I know that she isn't conspiring with Savage?"

Robin glared at his mentor, "How do you know that Cheshire isn't? You invited her to this, didn't you? And keep in mind that you're letting a thief help you out with this… no offense, Catwoman."

"None taken." To tell the truth, the thief was a tiny bit offended, but chose to give Robin a break. The poor kid was in mourning, after all. "Anyway, even if she was conspiring with Vandal, she still isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. She would've revealed herself faster than you could say 'diamond.'"

"Hey!" a voice cried out.

"You brought her _**here?**_" Batman asked.

"Yes. Now, say yes already."

"Fine."

Catwoman smiled, "Harley, you can come out now."

"Finally!" Harley cartwheeled out from behind a bunch of crates. "I promise ya, Bats, I won't let you down! I ain't gonna let Vandal get away!"

Cheshire, Damian (Wayne) al Ghūl, the Question, Batwoman, Cyborg, Jericho, Superboy, Supergirl, Artemis, Wildcat, and Red Arrow soon joined the smaller group.

"You will split into two separate groups and search the areas that Vandal Savage was last seen. If you see Savage, you will not engage. You will contact Alpha and the other half of your collective squad. Catwoman, you will lead Beta, and Robin, you will take Gamma. Once your squads are set up, you are to begin your search."

"What will you be doing, Batman?" Batwoman asked.

"I have something that needs to be done as soon as possible." With that, Batman left the warehouse.

Within fifteen minutes, Beta and Gamma were both set up. In addition to Catwoman, Beta was composed of Harley Quinn, Cheshire, Batwoman, Supergirl, Jericho, and Red Arrow. Gamma was composed of Damian, the Question, Cyborg, Superboy, Artemis, and Wildcat along with Robin.

Once Beta and Gamma had their assignments, they wasted no time in searching for Vandal Savage.

* * *

"Indiana, New York, Paris, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo, New Delhi… Damn, if Klarion really is collaborating with Savage, they must be pretty busy."

Donna nodded. When Zachary Zatara wasn't out clubbing, he could be as productive as his uncle and cousin. "Alright, then. Let's go."

_We're coming for you, Vandal Savage._

* * *

_**No you can't take it  
No you can't take it  
No you can't take that away from me**_

* * *

**A/N: Harley Quinn trying to walk the straight and narrow is a refrence to _Gotham City Sirens_. HARLEY AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN. YOU DON'T NEED NO MAN, GURL. (Bad grammar intended.)**

**I'm sorry.**

**And I included Damian in this, as well. I estimate that he's about seven years old, give or take. And the Question is the second one, Renee Montoya, because she's awesome and I ship her and Batwoman so hard (AND IT'S CANNON!)**


End file.
